Menu

The never ending quest for a proper home for the Oakland Athletics.

49ers incentivize Turner-Devcon to finish stadium by 2014

The Merc’s Mike Rosenberg has the reason why the 49ers and City of Santa Clara are working so hard to get the stadium legally decided: 2014 is the plan. Aiming for a preseason 2014 opening, the team is incentivizing contractors Turner-Devcon to finish by that point by offering a multimillion dollar bonus. They’re also flipping the script a bit by penalizing the contractors for every regular season game missed.

The contract requires Turner-Devcon to start building by July 1 and finish the stadium so it can open by the end of August 2014. If not, the firms would be penalized $6 million for each 49ers game missed, plus daily fines that could hit $20 million.

The penalties are harsh enough that the firms could actually lose money on the deal if they don’t finish the project on time. On the other hand, if they complete the stadium in time for the 2014 preseason, the 49ers will reward the firms with a $5 million bonus.

It’s a highly aggressive schedule, one that the stakeholders will be hard-pressed to achieve. Assuming that the Superior Court strikes down a possible referendum push, the 49ers are aiming for a July start to construction (groundbreaking would occur well before then). That puts the bulk of construction time at 25 months, though it’s likely that they’ll still be buttoning the place down for the two months prior to the 2014 regular season start.

Turner-Devcon is expected to be pretty busy over the next few years as they’re contracted to do the Santa Clara stadium. It’s also likely that they’ll be called upon to work on the Earthquakes stadium and Cisco Field. It’s just too bad that, knowing that the NFL wants the 49ers’ home built ASAP, they’re facilitating it to the best of their ability, approving the G-4 loan and arranging for the additional financing with multiple financial partners. What kind of help are the A’s getting from MLB? They’re on the “front burner”. Supposedly.

Post navigation

Off topic: let’s give it up for Jeremy Lin, the NBA’s first Asian-American stud. Local kid, Palo Alto, ex-Warrior, just bench minutes until this week. The money players were out as the Knicks hit primetime and Lin lit it up.
.
Dance about architecture: after Lew pulled the tarps, I went blue-collar and spent many enjoyable summers at Kezar applauding Lin as he grew up.
.
Paint me with your broad Oakland-only brush while I wait until that old shed opens up. SF Pro-Am rocks.
.

i just drove by their future home the other day (i work almost down the street from it). They have already cleared the old asphalt from the parking lot and there are tons of bulldozers and construction equipment all about. Talk about taking the initiative! Go Niners!

The “front burner” comment from Selig will be one month old tomorrow. Like I said in the other thread, maybe that front burner is really a crock pot, where the issue can continue to sit for a long time…

pjk, I think that’s a reality everyone is going to have to deal with. While the BRC may have had it for 3 years, it doesn’t mean anyone in the upper echelons of MLB cared about the A’s situation until now. I think it’s becoming obvious that until last month the A’s weren’t even a thought on anyone’s mind outside the Bay Area and the BRC.

pjk, I think that’s a reality everyone is going to have to deal with. While the BRC may have had it for 3 years, it doesn’t mean anyone in the upper echelons of MLB cared about the A’s situation until now. I think it’s becoming obvious that until last month the A’s weren’t even a thought on anyone’s mind outside the Bay Area and the BRC.

That’s what I am thinking as well. Now how long do we have to wait? Another three years???

I believe, as ML touched upon in past posting(s), the reason behind the delay isn’t simply the company line of ‘we want to be thorough’. For god’s sake, the United States helped defeat Germany and Japan in almost the same amount of time the BRC has been in existence. The issue of whether the A’s are better off in Oakland or San Jose does not require more than 3 years (and counting) to decide. But when we are talking about the lodge, we are talking about two prime motivations: 1) money 2) the harmonious status of the lodge itself and its AE. Both of these prime motivations are significantly involved with this issue.
I suspect, as ML and/or someone else noted previously, the delay has as much to do with: every year that a SJ stadium is delayed is one less year on the Giants’ stadium loan. IF MLB wanted to allow the A’s to move to SJ and IF by doing so MLB thinks it will have to throw some money at the Giants to placate them, the amount of that compensation is lessened by millions every year the stadium is delayed. With that said, the decision, good or bad, is coming this year. Bank on it…..

@all,
Wolff did say recently that Cisco Field wouldn’t be opening now until 2016. So technically, groundbreaking doesn’t need to occur until the Spring of 2014 (about the time construction is wrapping up on the Niners stadium). That’s nearly two full years to wrap up everything required: vote (if necessary), final land acquisitions, financing (if not yet fully put together), full EIR for new site in SJ (if necessary). As TW stated above, we’re going to hear something soon, but expect another two years before we’re actually celebrating a groundbreaking in SJ.

Baer is a @#$% a$$hole! And that SFGate reporter is a moron for not even calling out Baer/the G’s on their stupid territory crap (even thinks it’s a joke). It still amazes how these guys can be complete a$$holes about this in the media. The good of baseball anyone? Heck, even the Niners are willing to work with the Raiders here in the South Bay. Makes you wonder: are Baer and the Giants planning on moving to SJ themselves and build a spanking new yard at Diridon? If not, move the @#$% out of the way! Let us all be thankfull the decision doesn’t rest with the Giants. Sorry RM, back on topic…

I’m still hoping something still happens in Oakland, but Baer’s arrogance is infuriating. I hope that someday, whether in Oakland or SJ, the A’s regain top billing in the Bay. This dismissive and smug attitude by both Giant fans and their front office is getting to be too much.

@eb,
Just to be fair, almost every Giants fan I know finds their ownerships position ridiculous. The most common theme from them when we talk about it is “those rights are @#$%& bull shit.” The only Giants fans against the A’s in SJ are those who think it will drive out the single A Giants; I can respect that position (even though I don’t agree). None of them sound even remotely close to what Baer spits out.

Just saw that to pjk. Don’t think it has anything to do with the ballpark, but its interesting nonetheless. MLB Network was talking up Cespedes all week. He was apparently going to be a Marlin, playing in a spanking new yard. Now…

The 49ers are real smart to have this stadium open up in 2014. The # of years not spent in Candlestick at this point is really huge as this has been long overdue.

If the 49ers can get 850M in loans for a football stadium that is only used 8-10 times a year apart from Soccer, and other events can please someone explain to me how the A’s cannot get a 300M loan when they have sold naming rights already?

Once Selig rules on this and the A’s have the green light this ballpark in Downtown SJ will be far easier to get done when compared to the 49ers.

The amount of $$ needed is one reason while there being more games it helps the process.

The A’s can easily be in Cisco Field in 2015 but a decision has to be made very soon. Once the season starts it is another year for us all to wait…